IJoASER (International Journal on Advanced Science, Education, and Religion) E-ISSN: 2614-8862 & P-ISSN: 2565-0836 Volume 3, Number 3, November 2020 Rahmah El-Yunisiyah’s Dedication in Islamic Education for Women in Indonesia Rhoni Rodin 1*, Miftahul Huda 2 ,1,2 Institut Agama Islam Negeri Bengkulu, Indonesia Corresponding Author: [email protected]* ABSTRACT The history of Islamic education in Indonesia, apart from having a traditional character, not all women have had the opportunity to pursue education. The society paradigm considers that women are only weak creatures who do not need higher education. This has an impact on the role of women only in the domestic sphere, which does not have a broad role in the public sphere in society. Such social conditions moved the ARTICLE INFO heart of a reformer figure in Islamic education from West Sumatra, Article history: named Rahmah el-Yunusiyah. The purpose of this study was to Received determine the sacrifice and struggle of Rahmah el-Yunusiah in the field October 20, 2020 of education and Rahmah el-Yunusiyah's views on the essence of Islamic Revised religious education. She is the first female Islamic education figure to pay November 06, attention to the importance of education for women. She realizes that 2020 education is the main means to improve the position of women in the Accepted global life order. In this study using a qualitative approach. The method November 15, 2020 used is a research library. The data analysis technique used is content analysis. The result of this research shows that Rahmah el-Yunusiyah's dedication in Islamic education for women is that she founded the Diniyah school Puteri. According to him, religious education (Islam) according to him is the basis for the formation of human character, and becomes the essence for other activities. Keywords: Rahmah el-yunusiyah, Islamic education, Dedication a Good Women How to cite Rodin, R., & Huda, M., (2020). Rahmah El-Yunsiyah’s Dedication in Islamic Education for Women in Indonesia (International Journal on Advanced Science, Education, and Religion), 3(3). 96-106. https://doi.org/10.33648/ijoaser.v3i3.82 Journal Homepage https://ojs.staialfurqan.ac.id/IJoASER/ This is an open access article under the CC BY SA license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ INTRODUCTION In fact, the educational process is a process to develop the potential of students who have certain abilities and skills, it's just that it needs to be understood together that basically it is not easy to be able to accommodate the needs of each student appropriately in the educational process, but it must also be an understanding that every student must treated fairly in the educational process, including without discrimination against socio-economic background, culture, language and gender (Masyitoh et al., 2020). The history of great men is the history of women. They are born and educated by a woman. Some of the women are scholars. The clergy of women and their role as teachers of male scholars have existed since the beginning of Islamic history. Some of the women who became teachers of male friends, among others: IJoASER (International Journal on Advanced Science, Education, and Religion) Aisyah bint Abu Bakr. He is referred to as "A 'lam al-Nas wa Afqah al-Nas wa Ahsan al-Nas Ra'yan fii al-'Ammah" (the smartest, most faqih, and best of all people). Al- Dzahabi in "Siyar A 'lam al-Nubala" (biographies of intelligent scholars) says: "no less than 160 male friends recite the Koran to Siti Aisyah". Some hadith scholars say that Siti Aisyah's students were 299: 67 girls and 232 boys. Umm Salamah bint Abi Umayyah taught 101 people: 23 women and 78 men. Hafsyah binti Umar taught 22 students: 3 girls and 17 boys. Hujaimiyah al-Washabiyyah taught 22 male students. Ramlaha bint Abi Sufyan taught 21 students: 3 girls and 18 boys. Fatimah binti Qais taught 11 male students (Muhammad al-Habasy, 2018). Historical facts in the early days of Islamic civilization show with certainty that many women became scholars, scholars, and intellectuals with the same capacity and expertise as men, even surpassing them. These facts automatically challenge the assumption that women are less intellectual than men. Islam is here to elevate the status of women, suppress ignorance towards the realization of a just life and advance knowledge for all human beings, both men and women. In Islam there is no difference between men and women to get education. Because it is clear that studying is obligatory for Muslims. This is confirmed in the hadith of the Prophet narrated by Ibn Abdil Barr: َط َل ُب ا ْل ِع ْل ِن َف ِر ْي َضةٌ َع َلى ُك ِل ُه ْس ِل ٍن َو ُه ْس ِل َو ٍة Meaning: "seeking knowledge is mandatory for every male Muslim and female Muslim" (HR. Ibnu Abdil Barr). From this hadith, it is clear that women are obliged to study, in the sense that women have the same rights as men to pursue education. The importance of education for women has an important role for the progress of religion and nation. It is women who give birth to generations of people who are intelligent, of high quality and of noble character. The idea of renewal in Islam emerged in the modern period in the 1800s, this period was the period of the awakening of the Muslim community (Harun Nasution, 2019; Mukhlis, 2020)). The growth and development of madrasas in Indonesia cannot be separated from the growth and development of ideas for renewal of thought among Muslims. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were several changes in the thinking of Muslims in Indonesia by incorporating several ideas for reform. The emergence of these renewal ideas has several driving factors (Kareel A Steen Brink, 1994). First, there is a tendency for Muslims to return to the Koran and Hadith. This tendency is used as a reference for assessing religious and cultural habits that exist in society. The main idea of wanting to return to the Koran and Hadith is in an effort to reject imitation. Second, the emergence of a push for national resistance against the Dutch colonial rulers. Third, the strong efforts of Muslims to strengthen their organization in the social and economic fields, for the benefit of themselves and society. Fourth, further encouragement from the renewal of Islamic education. Because at that time quite a number of Islamic individuals and organizations were dissatisfied with traditional methods of studying the Koran and religious studies. Islamic individuals and organizations in the early 20th century tried to improve Islamic education both in terms of method and content. In historical records, every thought will develop in society if it is supported by several factors (Muhammad Azhar, 1996), including: first, the character of the person who brings the idea; second, the strength of the ideas developed is rational and 97 IJoASER (International Journal on Advanced Science, Education, and Religion) argumentative; third, the idea is in accordance with the times; fourth, literature containing widely marketed ideas; fifth, the student who brings the idea studied with him a lot, which means helping to develop the idea; sixth, the ideas that are raised are new and actual so that they are interesting to be used as study material; seventh, the development of an idea cannot be separated from scientific forums such as seminars, studies, and other scientific studies. It is also very influential in the modern era for the transformation of an idea with the publication media and mass media. Renewal, as Harun Nasution said, is the same as modernization (Harun Nasution, 2019). Usually a historical process, renewal in Islam is directed at the efforts of awakening the Muslim community in the process of orthodoxy of Islamic teaching (Dudung Abdurrahman, 2000; Novianti, 2020). The reformers see that the renewal movement in the field of education is very urgent with the condition of society (Deliar Noer, 1996). Another aspect is the arrival of foreign nations who colonized Indonesia, namely the Netherlands by establishing secular-based schools. This has resulted in a dualistic education system, between government schools and educational institutions established by Muslims. Thus, in understanding and explaining this renewal process, there are several concepts that are used as the basis for theory and thinking framework. First, the theory of challenge and response (challenge and response) expressed by Arnold J. Toynbee. According to Arnold, every historical movement arises because of an incentive to react by creating responses and making changes (Sidi Gazalba, 1996). Second, feminism theory, which is related to education, namely poststructuralist theory and postmodernism (Gadis Arivia, 2002; Ni’am,2015). This theory basically criticizes and deconstructs philosophy in favor of foundationalism and absolutism, in which education that is very male-centered is not questioned or is considered natural. As previous studies that discuss the same character in this study, for example like, Rohmatun Lukluk Isnaini the research entitled Women and dedication Ulama in Islamic Education (Assessing thought rahmah el-Yunusiyah) (Rohmatun Lukluk Isnaini, 2016). In his conclusion, he said that women can also take part in the public sphere and their social environment without leaving their main duties as wives or mothers. Their work can also be used as a basis for women to have the same opportunities as men and even to become leaders. Likewise, Prilia Wulandari's research in her research entitled Women in the Public Sector in an Islamic Perspective (Rahmah el-Yunusiyah's Progressive View on Leadership as a Ulama and Pioneer of Indonesian Muslim Women's Education) (Prilia Wulandari, 2017). In her research, she concluded, first, Rahmah el-Yunusiyah was a woman who never gave up.